1. PRC Modernization Act of 2000 (Republic Act 8981)
A Lecture in SEMFILA

2. Contents
Section 1. Title Section 2. Statement of Policy Section 3. Professional Regulation Commission Section 4. Composition

3. Statement of Policy
The State recognizes the important role of professionals in nation-building and, towards this end, promotes the sustained development of a reservoir of professionals whose competence has been determined by honest and credible licensure examinations and whose standards of professional service and practice are internationally recognized and considered world-class brought about by regulatory measures, programs and activities that foster professional growth and advancement.

4. Professional Regulation Commission
A three-person commission to be known as the Professional Regulation Commission shall be attached to the Office of the President for general direction and Coordination.

5. The PRC Composition
The commission shall be headed by one (1) full-time chairperson and two (2) full-time commissioners, all to be appointed by the President for a term of seven (7) years without reappointment to start from the time they assume office.
Appointments to a vacancy that occurs before the expiration of the term of a commissioner shall cover only the unexpired term of the immediate predecessor.

6. The PRC Composition
At the expiration of the term of the chairperson, the most senior of the commissioners shall temporarily assume and perform the duties and functions of the chairperson until a permanent Chairperson is appointed by the president.

7. The PRC Composition The chairperson or commissioner shall be
at least forty (40) years of age,
holding a valid certificate of registration/professional license and a valid professional identification card or a valid certificate of competency issued by the Commission or a valid professional license issued by any government agency,
familiar with the principles and methods of professional regulation and/or licensing,

8. The PRC Composition The chairperson or commissioner shall be
and has had at least five (5) years of executive or management experience.
In addition, one (1) of the Commissioners must be a past chairperson or member of a Professional Regulatory Board.

9. The Commissioners
HON. TERESITA R. MANZALA Chairperson Telefax:

10. The Commissioners
HON. JENNIFER J. MANALILI Commissioner Tel: Telefax:

11. The Commissioners
ATTY. ARISTOGERSON T. GESMUNDO Assistant Commissioner Tel:

12. The PRC Officials
Go to

13. Contents
Section 5. Exercise of Powers and Functions of the Commission Section 6. Compensation and Other Benefits Section 7. Powers, Functions and Responsibilities of the Commission

14. Exercise of Powers and Functions of the Commission
The Chairperson of the Commission, and the Commissioners as members thereof shall sit and act as a body to exercise general administrative, executive and policy-making functions of the Commission.
The Commission shall establish and maintain a high standard of admission to the practice of all professions and at all times ensure and safeguard the integrity of all licensure examinations.

15. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
To administer, implement and enforce the regulatory policies of the national government with respect to the regulation and licensing of the various professions and occupations under its jurisdiction, including the enhancement and maintenance of professional and occupational standards and ethics and the enforcement of the rules and regulations relative thereto;

16. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
b) To perform any and all acts, enter into contracts, make such rules and regulations, and issue such orders and other administrative issuances, as may be necessary, in the execution and implementation of its functions and the improvement of its services;

17. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
c) To review, revise, and approve resolutions, embodying policies promulgated by the Professional Regulatory Boards in the exercise of their powers and functions or in implementing the laws regulating their respective professions and other official actions on non-ministerial matters within their respective jurisdiction;

18. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
d) To administer and conduct the licensure examinations of the various regulator boards in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission;

19. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
determine and fix the places and dates of examinations;
use publicly or privately owned buildings and facilities for examination purposes;
approve the results of the examination and the release of the same;

20. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
adopt measures to preserve the integrity and inviolability of licensure examinations;
appoint supervisors and room watchers from among the employees of the government and/or private individuals with baccalaureate degrees who have been trained by the Commission;

21. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
d) publish the list of successful examinees; provide schools, colleges, and universities, public and private, offering courses for licensure examinations, with copies of sample test questions on examinations recently conducted by the Commission and copies of the syllabi or terms of specifications of subjects for licensure examinations;

22. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
d) and impose the penalty of suspension or prohibition from taking licensure examinations to any examinee charged and found guilty of violating the rules and regulations governing the conduct of licensure examinations promulgated by the Commission;

23. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
e) To admit the successful examinees to the practice of the profession or occupation; cause the entry of their names on its registry book and computerized database;

24. Verification of Professional License

25. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
e) issue certificates of registration/professional license, bearing the registrant’s name, picture, and registration number, signed by all the members of the Board concerned and the Chairperson, with the official seal of the Board and the Commission affixed thereto which certificate shall be the authority to practice;

26. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
e) and at the option of the professional concerned, ministerially issue the professional identification card, to be used solely for the purpose of identification, upon payment of the appropriate amount.

27. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
i) To submit and recommend to the President of the Philippines the names of licensed/registered professionals for appointment as members of the various Professional Regulatory Boards from among those nominated to fill up vacancies pursuant to the provisions of Executive Order No. 496, Series of 1991;

28. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
j) Upon recommendation of the Professional Regulatory Board concerned, to approve the registration of and authorize the issuance of a certificate of registration/license and professional identification card with or without examination to a foreigner who is registered under the laws of his state or country and whose certificate of registration issued therein has not been suspended or revoked:

29. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
j) Provided, that, the requirements for the registration or licensing in said foreign state or country are substantially the same as those required and contemplated by the laws of the Philippines and that the laws of such foreign state or country allow the citizens of the Philippines to practice the profession on the same basis and grant the same privileges as those enjoyed by the subjects or citizens of such foreign state or country:

30. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
j) Provided, further, that, the Commission may, upon recommendation of the Board concerned, authorize the issuance of a certificate of registration/license or a special temporary permit to foreign professionals who desire to practice their professions in the country under reciprocity and other international agreements;

31. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
j) consultants in foreign-funded, joint venture or foreign-assisted projects of the government, employees of Philippine or foreign private firms or institutions pursuant to law, or health professionals engaged in humanitarian mission for a limited period of time:

32. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
j) Provided, finally, that agencies, organizations or individuals whether public or private, who secure the services of a foreign professional authorized by law to practice in the Philippines for reasons aforementioned, shall be responsible for securing a special permit from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), pursuant to PRC and DOLE rules;

33. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
m) To monitor the performance of schools in licensure examinations and publish the results thereof in a newspaper of national circulation;

34. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
w) To initiate an investigation, upon complaint under oath by an aggrieved party, of any person, whether a private individual or professional, local or foreign, who practices the regulated profession or occupation without being authorized by law, or without being registered with and licensed by the concerned regulatory board and issued the corresponding license/professional identification card or temporary or special permit,

35. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
w) or who commits any of the prohibited acts provided in the regulatory laws of the various professions, which acts are criminal in nature, and if the evidence so warrants, to forward the records of the case to the office of the city or provincial prosecutor for the filing of the corresponding information in court by the lawyers of the legal services of the Commission who may prosecute said case/s upon being deputized by the Secretary of Justice;

36. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Commission
x) To prepare an annual report of accomplishments on the programs, projects and activities of the Commission during the year for submission to Congress after the close of its calendar year and make appropriate recommendations on issues and/or problems affecting the Commission, the Professional Regulatory Board, and the various professions under its jurisdiction;

37. Contents
Section 8. Regional Offices Section 9. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Various Professional Regulatory Boards Section 10. Compensation of the Members of the Professional Regulatory Boards Section 11. Person To Teach Subjects for Licensure Examination on all Professions

38. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Various Professional Regulatory Boards
To regulate the practice of the professions in accordance with the provisions of their respective professional regulatory laws;
To monitor the conditions affecting the practice of the profession or occupation under their respective jurisdictions and whenever necessary, adopt such measures as may be deemed proper for the enhancement of the profession or occupation and/or the maintenance of high professional, ethical and technical standards,

39. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Various Professional Regulatory Boards
b) and for this purpose the members of the Board duly authorized by the Commission with deputized employees of the Commission, may conduct ocular inspection in industrial, mechanical, electrical or chemical plants or establishments, hospitals, clinics, laboratories, testing facilities, mines and quarries, other engineering facilities and in the case of schools, in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED);

40. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Various Professional Regulatory Boards
c) To hear and investigate cases arising from violations of their respective laws, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and their Codes of Ethics and, for this purpose, may issue summons, subpoena and subpoena duces tecum (for production of evidence) to alleged violators and/or witnesses to compel their attendance in such investigations or hearings;

41. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Various Professional Regulatory Boards
e) To conduct, through the Legal Officers of the Commission, summary proceedings on minor violations of their respective regulatory laws, violations of the rules and regulations issued by the boards to implement their respective laws, including violations of the general instructions to examinees committed by examinees, and render summary judgment thereon;

42. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Various Professional Regulatory Boards
Subject to final approval by the Commission, to recommend registration without examination and the issuance of corresponding certificate of registration and professional identification card;
After due process, to suspend, revoke or reissue, reinstate certificate of registration or licenses for causes provided by law;

43. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Various Professional Regulatory Boards
To prepare, adopt and issue the syllabi or tables of specifications of the subjects for examinations in consultation with the academe;
determine and prepare the questions for the licensure examinations which shall strictly be within the scope of the syllabus or table of specifications of the subject for examination;

44. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Various Professional Regulatory Boards
score and rate the examination papers with the name and signature of the Board member concerned appearing thereon and submit the results in all subjects duly signed by the members of the Board to the Commission within ten (10) days from the last day of examination unless extended by the Commission for justifiable cause/s;

45. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Various Professional Regulatory Boards
and subject to the approval by the Commission, determine the appropriate passing general average rating in an examination if not provided for in the law regulating the profession;

46. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Various Professional Regulatory Boards
i) To prepare an annual report of accomplishments on programs, projects and activities of the Board during the year for submission to the Commission after the close of each calendar year and make appropriate recommendations on issues or problems affecting the profession to the Commission.

47. Contents
Section 8. Regional Offices Section 9. Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Various Professional Regulatory Boards Section 10. Compensation of the Members of the Professional Regulatory Boards Section 11. Person To Teach Subjects for Licensure Examination on all Professions

48. Person to Teach Subjects for Licensure Examination
All subjects for licensure examination shall be taught by persons who are holders of valid certificates of registration and valid professional licenses of the profession and who comply with the other requirements of the Commission on Higher Education.

49. Contents
Section 12. Assistance of Law Enforcement Agency Section 13. Appropriations Section 14. Authority to Use Income Section 15. Penalties for Manipulation and Other Corrupt Practices in the Conduct of Professional Examinations Section 16. Penalties for Violation of Section 7

50. Contents
Section 17. Implementing Rules and Regulations Section 18. Transitory Provisions Section 19. Separability Clause Section 20. Repealing Clause Section 21. Effectivity - Approved: December 05, Signed by President Joseph Ejercito Estrada

51. The Professional Regulatory Boards
Under the Commission are the forty-six (46) Professional Regulatory Boards (PRBs) which exercise administrative, quasi-legislative, and quasi-judicial powers over their respective professions.

52. The Professional Regulatory Boards
The PRBs, which were created by separate enabling laws, perform these functions subject to review and approval by the Commission:
Prepare the contents of licensure examinations. Determine, prescribe, and revise the course requirements
Recommend measures necessary for advancement in their fields
Visit / inspect schools and establishments for feedback

53. The Professional Regulatory Boards
The PRBs, which were created by separate enabling laws, perform these functions subject to review and approval by the Commission:
Adopt and enforce a code of ethics for the practice of their respective professions
Administer oaths and issue certificates of registration

54. The Professional Regulatory Boards
The PRBs, which were created by separate enabling laws, perform these functions subject to review and approval by the Commission:
Investigate violations of set professional standards and adjudicate administrative and other cases against erring registrants
Suspend, revoke, or reissue Certificate of Registration for causes provided by law

55. The Professional Regulatory Boards
Accountancy Aeronautical Engineering Agricultural Engineering Agriculture Architecture Chemical Engineering Chemistry

56. The Professional Regulatory Boards
Civil Engineering Criminology Customs Brokers Dentistry Electrical Engineering Electronics Engineering Environmental Planning

57. The Professional Regulatory Boards
Fisheries Technologist Foresters Geodetic Engineering Geology Guidance Counseling Interior Design Landscape Architecture

58. The Professional Regulatory Boards
Librarians Marine Deck Officers Marine Engineer Officers Master Plumber Mechanical Engineering Medical Technology Medicine

59. The Professional Regulatory Boards
Metallurgical Engineering Midwifery Mining Engineering Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Nursing Nutrition and Dietetics Optometry

60. The Professional Regulatory Boards
Pharmacy Physical and Occupational Therapy Pyschology Professional Teachers Radiologic and X-Ray Technology Real Estate Service

61. The Professional Regulatory Boards
Respiratory Therapy Sanitary Engineering Social Workers Sugar Technology Veterinary Medicine